Loris

By Annie Rigby Many activities were planned for high school graduates for the class of 2020, the biggest first milestone marked in many diaries, yearbooks and memories. However, there are two other milestones in the Loris community that were almost overlooked; the 5th grade graduation at Loris Elementary School (LES) and Daisy Elementary School (DES), and the 8th grade graduation at Loris Middle School (LMS). Loris Elementary and Daisy Elementary fifth graders were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, they missed the end of the year activities, the Field Day was cancelled, PTO activities and their recognition with their peers to …

Joe CUSTER and Dad making Saturday afternoon trip to beach for service call…The re-grand opening and ribbon cutting down at the Barbershop was held at 11 a.m. last Friday…Denise PRINCE such a lovely person who is helping friend Joe with his book work…Joe at CUSTOM DUCT doing a good job fixing air-condition unit…POP’S PIZZERIA located at 4549 Main Street in Loris opened on Monday, June 8, and they are taking applications so please stop by and see Gus…Send Samantha NORRIS your specials or celebrations so she can promote them at the Loris Chamber of Commerce…Hoyt SANDERSON making a lot of …

By Annie Rigby A service to celebrate the life of Larry Hickman, a lifetime firefighter since 1965 and assistant fire chief since 2013, was held on Sunday, June 7. Hickman passed away at McLeod Florence Hospital on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. A procession in the antique fire truck he loved and called his own carried him to the hub at the Loris Fire Department at the Public Safety Building on Sunday, June 2. An American flag covered his coffin and the antique fire hose nozzle and fire extinguisher he salvaged and used on the antique truck were set in front. …

By Annie Rigby The Loris Chamber of Commerce, the City of Loris, candidates and residents gathered under the magnificent elm tree in the back of The Barber Shop for the official announcement that Loris is reopen for business. On Friday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to noon Down at the Barber Shop aired their music and ribbon cutting ceremony live on WLSC Tiger Radio. At 11 a.m. John Sedlak, president of the Loris Chamber of Commerce, and Mayor Todd Harrelson both welcomed the crowd as they held the scissors together to cut the blue ribbon announcing the reopening of Loris …

By Annie Rigby The primary election ended on Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. The votes were tallied and posted at the two precincts in Loris and in Conway. Voting in person was quick and painless with social distancing following the marks on the floor and entering in one door and out another, using a cotton swab to touch the screen and carrying the ballot to the box to be drawn in to be electronically counted. Things went pretty smooth at the polls. With a record number of absentee ballots to be counted there was a delay in reporting from …

By Annie Rigby Ernie’s Hometown Diner reopened for business on Friday, June 5, serving familiar faces. Humbled not only by the community reaching out through the GoFundMe donations but the steady influx of friends and clients supporting Ernie Ross visiting the restaurant for breakfast and lunch. Ross said he is thankful for the community’s help through the pandemic when he had to close his restaurant. He said he was able to save the diner through the second wave of small government business loans of $3,100. He is not sure the grand opening for his new location in Little River will …

By Annie Rigby During the Monday, June 8, Special City Council Meeting Brandon Harrelson, Director of the Water and Sewer Department addressed the council of the negative issues regarding the water and sewer billing code errors. With 2020-21 preliminary budget in hand when compared to the 2019-20 approved budget, a line item jumped off the page. The line item for Water/Sewer Operate Revenue for the coming year is a total amount of $3,218,364. In the 2019-20 the line item totaled $1,794,237. This is a $1.2 million difference in revenue. Why is that and where the money will come from to …

By Annie Rigby Larry Hickman passed away peacefully at McLeod Florence Hospital on Tuesday, June 2, after a short illness. Hickman joined the Loris Volunteer Fire Department in 1965 after he moved from Green Sea to Loris. He moved up in rank from firefighter to lieutenant. After Rodney Hardee passed away in 2013 Hickman was promoted to assistant fire chief. Hickman said, “When I was a teenager my buddies and I would go to fire calls, the department decided to put us on the fire department.” He stated, although the title is assistant fire chief, “We work as a team.” …

By Annie Rigby Both Ashton and Alexandra are filled with emotions to end one instrumental chapter in their lives and are excited for their new beginnings to attend college in the fall. Congratulations to the Loris High School Class of 2020. Closing all South Carolina public schools began on March 15 with an undetermined date to return to a normal schedule. For the Class of 2020 online school, it was missing stepping stones of their senior year and to accept the new normal of attending schools and missing activities. LHS seniors have been recognized with a banner filled with 214 …

By Annie Rigby Loris Elementary School teachers and staff have not seen their students in person since Friday, March 13. With Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order to close all South Carolina schools beginning on Monday, March 16, teachers have missed interacting with their students. Paiton Harrelson said that the ride through town was a joint effort beginning with the first grade teachers and expanding to all grades from child development to fifth grade staff participating in the ride. On Friday, May 15, some of the school PTO members joined in the LES teachers caravan making a 50 plus parade of …